Category Archives: Current affairs

Have you read about the French company Laboratoires Berden and its charismatic CEO, Eric Dumonpierre? Founded in 1996, the company launched Mutorex, an anti-obesity drug. Dumonpierre rapidly became a star chief executive, winning several awards for corporate social responsibility. He … Continue reading →

After two decades of progress and innumerable calamities, the supermarket category in East Africa is again in flux. This time the highly professional retail brand Carrefour is coolly selecting the best growth opportunities from the wreckage of the supa-duka boom. … Continue reading →

Last week I read that the glamorous Apple head office (Apple Park in Cupertino, California) has an unusual Health & Safety issue. The futuristic circular space – designed to encourage openness and collaboration – is largely made of glass. But … Continue reading →

One glance at any media outlet at the moment will bring you up to speed with a so-called seismic event in international politics and economics. The British people have been given the opportunity to vote in a referendum about continued … Continue reading →

Researchers in the UK have recently put a figure to the time senior managers spend in meetings every year. 550 hours they reckon. That’s four working months. I’ve no reason to suppose the figure is any less in Africa. Indeed … Continue reading →

I’m sure you all know what a false economy is, but it’s often good to start with a definition. Wikipedia says:’ A false economy is an action that saves money at the beginning but which, over a longer period of … Continue reading →

Business owners and senior management teams often ask me ‘what’s wrong with our people?’ They cite poor timekeeping, growing complaints about terms of service, and a lack of company loyalty. Not surprisingly, the leaders who make the most effort feel … Continue reading →

Kenya Media scene in darkness Half of Kenya’s TV stations have deliberately switched themselves off for an unspecified period. So now wouldn’t be a bad time to catch up with some reading. I myself dusted off an old copy of … Continue reading →

Can Scotland learn from Africa? In Africa, we’re usually considered to be outside the purview of global debate. People assume that we have our own problems. And they believe we have everything to learn from developed markets. That’s a paradigm … Continue reading →